The Lagos State government has signed three separate Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with various reputable companies to advance waste conversion.
This is contained in a statement on Sunday by the spokesperson for the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Kunle Adeshina.
Mr Adeshina added that the MoUs were aimed at reducing the quantum of waste in the state.
“The state over the weekend demonstrated its irrevocable commitment to advanced waste conversion.
“This is the 11th Lagos International Climate Change Summit, climaxed with breakout and panel sessions on thematic areas featuring experts,” Mr Adeshina said.
He said the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, while addressing the investors, stated that the state government was determined to convert waste to wealth.
Mr Adeshina added that the state government was determined to transition from linear waste management (pick and dump) to converting waste into wealth, which was a more sustainable approach.
He said the new MoUs represented a new vista in the state’s quest to reduce the quantity of waste that ultimately reaches the various landfill sites.
Mr Adenishina said the proposition from one of the companies, HAK Waste Ltd., was to establish a circular beverage container bottle recycling and recovery.
“This is through a deposit refund system hinged on the Extended Producer’s Responsibility mechanism (EPRM),” he said.
He added that the new proposal was an investor’s confidence in the EPRM policy of the state on waste reduction.
Mr Adeshina said that another of the MoUs would bring about the first-of-its-kind establishment of a world-class tyre collection and recycling facility for end-of-life tyres.
“Haggai Logistics Ltd. proposes to build a first-of-its-kind tyre recycling plant. This will be responsible for processing end-of-life tyres via a fully automated waste tyre recycling factory and deployment of environmentally sound recycling technologies.
“The third of the MoU is from Mondo 4 Africa, proposing to convert non-recyclable plastic waste into sustainable fuel and other valuable resources through environmentally friendly technology,” he said.
He stated that the state was determined to address key issues simultaneously to facilitate proper financial intervention. state.
Speaking further on the new MoUs, Muyiwa Gbadegesin, managing director of LAWMA, said the new initiative was part of the organisation’s quest to improve the state’s environment.
Mr Gbadegesin noted that the state government or LAWMA alone cannot be saddled with the responsibility of managing the quantum of daily generated solid waste in the state.
He added that the state needed the partnership of the private sector to turn waste into a resource and wealth.
In their response, the investors expressed their appreciation and willingness to work with the Lagos government to actualise the state’s waste-to-wealth initiative.
The governor’s special adviser on environment, Rotimi Akodu; the permanent secretary, office of environmental services, Omobolaji Gaji; and the permanent secretary, office of drainage services, Mahamood Adegbite, among others.
(NAN)